19BlueMamaBear72

It was NCL SKY. I was on the ten day cruise. Which I purposely chose, just in case I didn't like cruising, at least I would have visited multiple places. I absolutely loved St. Maarten I did the double decker tour, lots of sites and quite a bit of history learned. The excursions are never long enough to take in the culture, but it was one of the best. I absolutely loathed Antigua. There was nothing but extreme poverty upon entering through the port. The theme that I picked up on after this stop, is that all the places we paid thousands of dollars to visit DO NOT benefit its people. Everything was overpriced and each vendor is selling exactly the same thing, MANUFACTURED GOODS IN CHINA...only changing the destinations name. Very disappointed. I wanted to feel and experience unique things at each place. If you don't purchase anything, they ask for donations. The average pay in St. Maarten is 5.00, and the rent is 900.00 per month. That is their entire months pay. Culture wise, I found this to be the most valuable stop. The people are well versed and are proud citizens. I WOULD LOVE TO VISIT AGAIN. The private island was cancelled due to weather. While that may be true this trip, I did some online research as well as learned from seasoned cruisers on the ship and online that this is normal with NCL and even crew echoed what previous cruisers have stated. Dining and entertainment was always just mediocre. I filled my days walking around, eating and occasionally watching Wheel of Fortune, Bingo or Deal or No Deal. They charge you to participate, but I chose to be a spectator. They recently added an Illusionist...they were decent, and they have a comedian and a soloist. I seen the singer... she was above average. I heard that the comedian was good as well. I may cruise again... and I believe that by far it is better to take longer cruises. Do your homework. I mean really INVEST in your investment to get the most valuable experience for your money. I am not wealthy, and I sacrificed a lot to afford this trip. I wasn't blown away by the cruise, but I wasn't terribly disappointed either. I will say that after seeing other ships dwarf SKY I do believe that I would go a little larger if I go again but not SUPER SIZED. I would find something in the middle. Below are the stops...USVI was the last. We arrived at 6:30am. We lost valuable time because nothing was opened. I ended up paying for an additional tour to fill the space until my excursion opened. I wish our time was extended to offset us not going to Stirrup Cay. MIAMI, FLORIDA AT SEA AMBER COVE, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Ok SAN JUAN -OK ST JOHNS ANTIGUA - Stay on the ship PHILIPSBURG ST MAARTEN, NETHERLANDA NTILLES - 5 STAR BASSETERRE, SAINT KITTS - NEVIS - Very Good ST THOMAS - Not enough time, but nice AT SEA GREAT STIRRUP CAY, BAHAMAS - N/A MIAMI, FLORIDA

This was my first cruise. While I do not have any comparisons, the crew impressed me the most. They were ALWAYS intentional about giving the best of themselves. They all work long hours and deal with many demands from the guests and supervisors. Even in the face of difficult passengers they maintain the spirit of giving the best service. They always greet you with a smile, or a good morning, and close with have a good night. KUDOS to all of the food service and housekeeping teams. These people are under-appreciated for their efforts and energy. I don't think that this ship is ideal for children and teens. They do have designated areas for them, but I often heard the kids/teens complain about boredom, as the initial excitement wears off quickly. Moreover, the food choices are vast, but they repeat and I personally watched children refusing to eat...as there aren't many choices for their tastes.